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Leicester hospital to be resuscitated

The scrapped Leicester University Hospitals PFI could be partially revived using the NHS’ Procure 21 initiative, it is understood.

A consortium led by John Laing was the preferred bidder on the original £711m scheme, which was abandoned in November 2006 after costs rose to £921m.

The trust is reviewing its building programme with a view to carrying out a series of smaller, publicly funded schemes.

Sources close to the project said no firm decision had been taken on the procurement of the schemes, but that Procure 21 could be used to deliver some of the work.

Procure 21 is the Department of Health’s framework for healthcare procurement.

Rob Pinsent, head of facilities at the trust, said: “We‘ve no plans to undertake a scheme using the Procure 21 process; that’s not to say that at some point in the future we might.”

Postscript

Partnerships for Schools, the delivery body for the £45bn Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, has said it has met its delivery targets for the financial year despite delays to the scheme’s original programme.